Confessions of a Grandma

You might think that being retired makes everyday seem like a weekend day. It's not really true.  Weekends are still special.  And this weekend was Harvest Festival weekend in my little part of the world. I went to buy a pie.  I bought one from the Boy Scouts' booth, this little pie stand in in operation throughout the year. I also bought some bottles of maple syrup.  My Christmas shopping is officially underway.  So at home I started putting together some things for the kids' Advent Calendars. And I worked on making my Christmas cards. It was too beautiful a day to be inside for long though.  Fall is moving in.

I have mentioned my lack of fondness for telemarketers before. Caller ID is a wonderful thing, but sometimes old habits die hard.  Sometimes I just automatically pick up the phone and say hello like I think I am still a teenager waiting on a call from my best friend and, of course, it will be her on the line.  Except it's not. -Hello! -Good evening, Ma'am!  ( yes, it is 6 p.m. and I have dinner simmering on the stove) This is ________ and I am representing the Professional Firefighters of VT.  What a beautiful day, we have had!  Are you enjoying this gorgeous weather?" -What do you want? -Woah!  That is the second time in a row I got that same response! -So why are you calling? -Well, if you don't want to engage in pleasantries about the weather, I might as well just hang up. -Good idea! Thanks! Bye! Did someone do a psychological study demonstrating that if you tried to cozy up all friendly to someone, that someone would be more likely ...

I have always liked to read.  I can get lost in a good book. But lately I have no time to read because of...books. I am putting extra time in at the library.  The librarian knows I will eventually fly like the snowbird I am off to Florida.  She's asked me to help her get caught up on a few projects that have been sitting on hold.  I have been dealing with donations that go right onto the "for sale" shelves, but the donations that have been set aside for replacing damaged books already in the collection or to add to the collection have been piling up.  The library board finally said no more donations for the time being, but it is being a bear of a job getting out from under this task. So I handle many books on a daily basis and I have nightmares about books every night for a while, but I have not time to actually read a book! Another reason for taking off for my winter retreat. Reading a book written by a local author in more care free times.

It was cold Sunday, but that did not dampen party spirits.  It was a good time spent with family and old friends from school days.  And a blazing bonfire! I wish I had thought to snap my brother's house.  It was built in the 1700's and is on the historical register.  This is a long view of their property.  The have opened a camp ground for bike tours, a large number of which travel nearby Route 100 that extends down the middle of the state. Check out a nearby attraction here . Some of the guests play in a ukulele group that my sister-in-law belongs to. (She is an interesting personality!) These guys added some music to the day before the uke-players got started--just as I was leaving, go figure.  My brother has lots of funny stories about the donkeys. So it was a bit of nostalgia.  Lots of laughing and joking around like we were all still in our twenties.  With the big exception that no one was drinking.  No one was smoking. ...

 We watch Mason grow up through his school years right up to the time he leaves for college.  We see his sister, Samantha, leading the way.  And we see his parents, children really themselves in the beginning struggle with their own successes and failures in growing up. We all liked it, the five of us who went to see it together.  One of my friends said, "I liked it but I don't know why." It was a different sort of movie...filmed with the same cast over the span of 12 years.  It wasn't a documentary.  It wasn't a story with a clear beginning, middle, climax, ending.  It was maybe more like a series of visits with a cousin in another state.  You see him pretty regularly each summer for a brief visit and get a bit of a snapshot for his life.  You always wish him well: you're are really quite fond of him.  But, you know, you do have your own life to live.  And so it goes.  Life. It was an impressive undertaking and the fin...

Last Saturday the temperature hit the 90's and humidity made it seem as though I shared quarters with Sponge Bob Squarepants.  Seven days later, 30 degrees (these are Fahrenheit scale, dear non U.S. readers).  It's torture by weather. I am starting to think about upping my trip to Florida plans for this year! I have plans to see the movie Boyhood  with friends this weekend.  That's the one that took 16 years to film because the point was to show the real progression of growing up.  It has gotten excellent reviews.  Movie and dinner with the girls. Tomorrow,  my brother is having a get together at his place.  It's meant to be outdoors.  Fortunately,  he has always been into huge bonfires and will have plenty of fire wood on hand because it will probably be needed.

Today would have been Mike's 71st birthday. And it is a gorgeous day.  Really could not ask for a better one.  The sky is a clear, bright blue and the air is crisp with just a hint of fall coolness.  Tonight there will be a super moon rising. One of Mike's most precious moments was always to sit in the dark and watch the full moon coming up as he sipped a whiskey and soda.  That's what I will do tonight. I know he will be out there watching.  And probably being slightly distressed that I would ruin his good whiskey with ginger ale instead of club soda. Always with a book in hand.

August and September are big birthday months in my family.  I have been busy with some card making. Dane wanted to make a card during his weekend visit.  I used to have my craft supplies in the laundry room, but earlier this summer I converted Mike's old office into a dedicated craft space. Dane was seeing the transformation for the first time.  His reaction:  "Wow, Grandma, you really girled this place up!" The distant rumbles were Mike's expression of dismay.